John Wheeler Counselling

How do I make an appointment?

Please either telephone or email me to arrange an appointment. We will organise an initial Assessment session when you will have the opportunity to talk about your present situation and get to know me. If after that initial session both of us agree to engage in therapy this will take place at an agreed time each week for approximately fifty minutes.

How much will it cost?

Individuals – £50 per session.

Couples – £75 per session.

How many sessions will be needed?

This is a difficult question to answer since it will depend on the nature of the difficulties you are experiencing. Sometimes only a few Counselling sessions are needed to explore a particular concern. Deeply distressing emotional difficulties, beliefs and behaviours may take some while to overcome. Longer-term Psychotherapy / Counselling is suitable for clients who want to explore recurring issues. Whatever number of sessions you require it will be usual to review the process after 6 sessions so you are able to consider whether additional sessions will be beneficial.

How long will our sessions last?

After an initial confidential assessment session (which will last for about 45 minutes) we'll arrange between us when next to meet. Each of our subsequent sessions is confidential, and will last up to 50 minutes.

What can I expect from counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling offers you a safe confidential environment and an opportunity for you to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

How will we work together during Counselling / Psychotherapy?

How we work together will depend on what's best for you and what you want, but remember that Counselling and Psychotherapy are ways of helping you discover new choices and to identify amd manage the changes you want in your life.

The aim is to help you to develop insight into your own problems and to identify your own resources. Most of all, our work together will help you feel more in control of your life and help to increase your sense of personal understanding.

Counselling and Psychotherapy are designed to help you manage change and difficulty.

Counselling and Psychotherapy will help you make sense of your individual circumstances.

During Counselling and Psychotherapy you will receive support.

Counselling and Psychotherapy are designed to help better equip you to cope with the future.

How long have you been practising and what experience do you have?

I've been practising for 15 years working with adults, young people and children and have a wide experience of counselling clients with profound physical and learning difficulties.

What if I am not happy with you when we first meet?

During the Assessment it's fine to trust your instinct because our relationship will be at the heart of our work.
BACP recommend that if you are unsure about the practitioner then seek another one.
Having confidence in me as your practitioner is very important as this will enable you to get the best out of the time we spend together.

Will I have to lie on a couch?

No, I won't use a couch for our work.

How will you work then?

How we work together will depend on what's best for you and what you want. All the types of Counselling and Psychotherapy are ways to help you to think about change, make new choices, and find clarity.

Why are there different approaches?

Different therapies have different styles.
For instance, if we use Cognitive Behavioural ideas there will be 'homework' for you to do.
If you are suffering from bereavement, there will be a lot of emphasis on supporting you through some difficult emotions.
If we decide to explore past relationships and their effect on you we may use Transactional Analysis.
Or, we may decide that you prefer to focus solely on your life in the present so we might choose to use Person Centred ideas. You might prefer to think about the changes you would like to make in the future and in this instance we might use Solution Focused Therapy

How do the various approaches work?

Many approaches will view your developing relationship with me as your therapist as a kind of model which may help reveal the patterns of behaviour that cause you problems.
Other approaches might look at your family relationships and who wielded the power in your house when you were growing up.
Others focus on your thinking style and changes in behaviour.
There are distinctions between therapy where you do most of the talking and those which involve much more of a dialogue.
But don't worry, whichever approach we adopt you should be able to make the changes you are seeking.

Will I get hooked on therapy?

The goal of any talking treatment is your increased self-awareness, skill acquisition and independence.
During therapy, you may develop some feelings of reliance upon me. This is a normal reaction although it can, at times, feel worrying.
Do try not to worry if this occurs as I am used to helping clients manage these feelings and will be genuinely interested in helping you make progress.

Will you be able to help me manage / change my situation?

Therapists practise in all walks of life and all parts of society – from an NHS clinic to the Boardrooms of top companies.
I have trained in managing situations as diverse as coping with anxiety and bereavement, body image difficulties, educational dilemmas, relationship difficulties, sexual and racial issues, personal problem-solving as well as helping victims of child abuse and trauma.

Is Counselling / Psychotherapy confidential?

Everything you discuss with me will be confidential. There can be certain legal exceptions and I will clarify this with you prior to beginning any agreed contract for working.

Do you receive supervision?

All Counsellors and Psychotherapists need to be in supervision which is a form of consultative support. I will need to discuss my work with my own Superviser but like me, this Practitioner is also bound by rules of confidentiality. In practice there is no likelihood of any breach of trust.